I was born in Maryland, the 6th of 9 (that's right, 9) kids. I had 6 brothers who loved to tease and 2 sisters who paved the way with good old mom and dad for me (the youngest girl). But, I vowed to be different than the bunch.
In 1994, I left my parents and 3 remaining siblings at home to attend Brigham Young University and to study illustration. In a family filled with doctors, lawyers, electrical engineers, teachers and statisticians...I was the odd man out. But I didn't care and neither did my family. They were brimming with support and encouragement. Even now they are some of my biggest fans (along with my wonderful husband and kids).
In April 1998, I graduated from Brigham Young University with a BFA in Illustration and have been freelancing ever since. I'm enjoying it throughly and am glad to be realizing my dream of becoming a freelance illustrator. In 2010 I added the title of AUTHOR to my resume when my first picture book completely created by me hit the shelves. From then on, my focus expanded to being the full creator of books from start to finish. I love the process and seeing my ideas come to life in words and art together. I've now published over 14 picture books and have many more in my head.
But I must admit to you my other passion...my family. As crazy as it gets with 4 kids running around the studio, the kitchen, the yard, the grocery store (or wherever I happen to be), I love being a wife and a mom, and am lucky to share my life with them. They provide so much of the inspiration, the modeling, and the life of my work. I'm one lucky gal.
Scroll down to the bottom of my books page for my client list. And go to my BLOG if you want to read more about my process and methods as an illustrator.
